February 14, 2014

Fitness expert Larysa DiDio has a closet full of bright, fashionable fitness gear. But she usually works out in fleece pajamas. “I wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning and pretty much roll onto the elliptical,” says the mother of two kids, ages 10 and 13. Like many busy moms, the morning is the only time she has to work out.

Stephanie McMahon, chief brand officer for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), also squeezes in her cardio before her kids (ages 3, 5, and 7) get up. “I don’t have time to do it in the day,” she says. “Plus, it’s very important to me that I get my time in with my kids.”

But sometimes, even a workout in the morning can seem impossible. That’s why DiDio created the 4-Minute Workout. The idea: You may not have an hour or even 20 minutes in a day, but you probably have 4 minutes to kill before leaving to pick up your daughter from soccer practice, or before dialing into a conference call. “Those little bits of activity throughout the day boost your metabolism and can really make a difference in your health and happiness,” DiDio says.

Watch the video above to see the two fitness friends DiDio and McMahon teach you the 4-Minute Workout. Perform each of the four exercises for 1 minute without rest. Do that several times a day whenever you can fit it in. Or repeat the routine four times with 1 minute of rest between each round for a full 20-minute workout.